A New Light
by DianaPhantom
Summary: Maddie's instinct is to help the person who saved her, or rather the ghost who saved her. When it is none other than Danny Phantom, how will Maddie react? And will Phantom's secret be revealed... by choice? First story! Phantom/Maddie Bonding!
1. Chapter 1

*Re-edited*

"Get back here whelp, so I may have your head and use it as a foot rest!" The larger ghost taunted as he pointed an accusing finger at the Halfa.

"Um, EW! How do I know you don't have fungus?" The teen retorted, his face depicting an obvious lack of interest, if not utter boredom.

"I guess you will have to find out yourself." The hunter yelled, aiming his newly acquired weapon at the Halfa's forehead. The weapon made a quick sequence of high pitched beeps, indicating that it had locked onto its target. _I've got you now..._

The ghost boy shot a beam of glowing green energy with one hand at the mechanical ghost, sending him hurtling backwards a dozen feet while he arrogantly yawned, covering his mouth with his free hand. "Well, bonus points for the creativity Skulker. I guess a footrest would be more practical than a rug." He commented, voice dripping in sarcasm.

For the entire duration of the fight, Phantom continued to display the same expression of boredom. Strangely enough, he reminded Maddie of a regular teenage boy faced with the prospect of cleaning his room on a Friday night; his expression betraying that he really wanted to be somewhere else. It was like he knew it needed to be done, but he had other places to be, other things to do that were more appealing than what seemed to be an everyday chore for the peculiar teen.

The huntress, distracted by her thoughts, failed to realise that the fight was coming to a close. The ghost deemed 'Skulker' let out a frustrated growl as he was yet again hit squarely in the chest by a green blast, becoming desperate as he realised his chances of winning this fight were becoming slimmer by the second. His pupil-less green eyes fell on the woman's unmoving form, a maniacal grin lighting up his face as he quickly changed battle strategies.

Skulker floated upwards until he was at eye level with the Halfa, quickly dodging a poorly aimed blast from his ghostly counterpart. His arm raised and aimed at the woman on the ground. "Well, maybe I can use the head of a ghost huntress as my foot rest instead!" he bellowed.

Maddie heard the whine of some type of weapon, but her gaze was still locked on the ghost boy as he turned around. Phantom's expression quickly changed from bored to confused as he turned, trying to figure out what the older ghost was talking about. His face suddenly became horrified, his eyes widening in fear as he comprehended how the previously insignificant battle had made a turn for the worst.

Maddie's face contorted, her mind trying to think of a cause for the ghost's sudden alarm. Surely it wasn't the fact that Skulker had targeted her, was it? She was a ghost hunter, shouldn't he be glad that the other ghost was about to eradicate one of his biggest threats?

She turned back to Skulker, just in time to see the blast leave the muzzle of his gun, heading straight for her. She froze, flinching as she waited for the impact that would surely scatter her across the pavement. She waited for the pain, but it never came.

"Noooooo!" Phantom yelled. Without thinking, he dove in front of the huntress and took the ectoplasmic blast square in the chest. He fell until he impacted with the concrete, a sharp cracking noise echoing through the distance between them, leaving Maddie to wonder if the sound was coming from the concrete breaking or the boy's bones snapping from his rough landing. She watched with growing dread as Phantom continued to lie motionless on the ground, while Skulker floated down, walked over to him and aimed another cannon at his prey.

"And now, ghost child. You. WILL. BE! M-"

"Going back to the ghost zone!" Phantom shouted, eyes snapping open as he whipped out the Fenton thermos and sucked up the ghost, quickly reattaching the lid once he was securely inside.

Phantom tried getting up, but Maddie could tell that it was causing him immense pain. His hand was holding his chest where he had gotten burnt as he tried to take a step forward, but he quickly lost his balance and fell flat on his face again. Before Maddie could stop herself, she was running over to aid him.

"Phantom! Are you alright?" she called.

The ghost boy tensed as he heard the familiar voice, and he quickly tried to stand again to get away from her, but ended up landing on his butt, staring up at her with a panic stricken expression.

Maddie raised an eyebrow; _He's afraid of me, and yet he saved my life? Nothing about his behaviour makes sense! _

She followed his gaze down to the Fenton Bazooka she forgot she was still holding, and smiled weakly. _I guess it would make sense that he was scared of a large menacing weapon designed to destroy him_. She thought to herself, almost regretfully. She threw it away and kneeled down beside him to try to assess his wounds.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." She muttered as he began to protest, not making eye contact and instead concentrating on his injuries.

Phantom's suit was torn in some places, and the burnt skin on his chest was left exposed. The blast hadn't hit dead centre like she had first thought, but was instead off to the side so that the DP logo was still fully intact. From a quick inspection, she suspected that he had a sprained ankle, which would explain why he couldn't get up.

In other words, he was completely helpless. She could easily capture him now in his weakened state, and there would be nothing he could do about it. But something about capturing him like this seemed very unsporting of her, especially since he had just saved her life. But if she walked away now, the ghost would be left in a very vulnerable position, at the mercy of any one that was to discover him. Another ghost could come along, or perhaps even the Red Huntress, and it would be game over for him. That plan seemed just as cruel, and that only left one other option...

"You're coming with me." she said bluntly, standing again to her full height.

Phantom's eyes widened in fear. "But I thought you said you weren't going to hurt me!" he said with a small voice, almost as if he had been expecting it. The vulnerability in his expression made her heart constrict, and her face softened considerably as she regarded him.

"I'm going help you; you can't just stay here and wait for another ghost to find you, that would be as good as signing your own death warrant." She said, chuckling softly at the end. "Well, maybe not a death warrant, but..." she mused.

His eyes locked onto hers, deciding whether or not to believe her claim. "No experiments?" he asked, shuddering.

"No experiments."

And with those two words, Maddie could see the immediate trust in his eyes. She picked him up and walked him over to the RV before gently securing him in the backseat. _What have I gotten myself into? _She thought as she started the engine, eyes glancing to the already unconscious figure in the back before she pulled out onto the road, heading for home.

Danny awoke as phantom.

In his house.

...On the couch...

...With his mom watching him.

_Oh crud._

Memories from the time before he had found himself falling unconscious in the back of the RV swirled around his mind, adding to his feeling of dread. He remembered the sincerity in his mother's voice when she had promised that she wouldn't hurt him, but what if her gratitude from him saving her life had run out while he had been sleeping?

"Hey Phantom, how are you feeling?" She asked. Danny decided that there was no anger in her tone, which had to be a good sign.

He met his mother's eyes, surprized and slightly comforted by the kindness displayed in them.

"Better..." he replied uncertainly, not taking his eyes off of the woman. "...But why are you helping me?"

**You guys are probably wondering, 'Huh, this chapter actually makes sense, and is totally amazing in every which way!'. Yeah, that's because it wasn't re-edited by me. It was fixed by my wonderful beta, phantoms-apprentice96! If it wasn't for her I would probably lose interest in this fic altogether, but reading this chapter makes me exited to send her another chapter to be edited:D Thanks phantoms-apprentice96!**

**Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie was sitting on the edge of her seat, unable to relax despite the ghost's obviously weakened state. Everything about the situation screamed '_dangerous';_ The ghost could be faking for all she knew, and she hadn't even thought to restrain him, instead laying him out on her couch as if he was one of her own children. Her spur of the moment decision to bring him home hadn't been thought through, and now she wondered if it had been a wise decision at all. Ghosts healed quickly, maybe he wouldn't have been in _too_ much danger if she had of just left him to his own devices...

But as she studied his wary eyes, she couldn't help but feel the overwhelming desire to _help _the poor creature. Perhaps it was a maternal instinct, she thought with slight amusement. Her own children were hardly ever home anymore, and she felt that she was growing apart from her children in a way that couldn't be reversed. She had grown used to her daughter's behaviour, and how she would isolate herself from her family, usually in favor of a well-loved book or a homework assignment. But it had only been recently that she had begun to drift away from her youngest child, Danny. Danny had always been her baby, and he had always been able to come to her for help when he was having a hard time.

But now, she barely saw him at all, despite the fact he seemed to be going through the roughest time of his life. He would come home past curfew almost every night, with no explanation, and endure whatever punishment was set for him with barely a word of protest. His grades were slipping, he was getting into trouble at school, missing classes... the list went on. But not once, not even one time had he come to his mother for help. Every time she would ask, she'd get a mumbled "I'm Fine" before he'd quickly leave, avoiding further questioning. She knew he was lying, but what else was there to do but hope that he'd open up to her one of these days?

She sighed, looking down at the ghost with saddened eyes. Was this really a case of misplaced motherhood? Was her judgement being hindered by the hole in her heart left by her distant children?

It was a definite maybe. There was no other explanation for her actions, besides the fact that the ghost had saved her life. But even then, she could picture numerous times that the ghost had saved her and her family, but she had always put his actions it down to personal gain and thought nothing else of it. Ghosts never did anything unless there was something in it for them, or so she had thought. She couldn't understand what the ghost could've possibly hoped to gain from saving her, it was almost as if he hadn't expected anything in return at all... but then, that just didn't make sense. There had to be something she was missing...

She sighed, knotting her fingers together in her lap. "You saved me... It only seems fair..." she muttered, plastering a fake smile on her face to try and calm the boy, only to remember afterwards that ghosts had no emotions, and therefore, his apparently anxious expression was an act on his part, or perhaps an automatic reflex, a reaction depicted by his human memories on how he should act in the current situation...

_...Or maybe_, her mind provided unhelpfully, _he really is anxious..._

Her gaze locked onto him, watching as he desperately fumbled for a response. Phantom had propped himself up onto his elbow, his gaze occasionally flickering to the sides as if he were anticipating an attack. His mouth opened, but no sound came out, and he closed it again, looking at her with a peculiar expression that suggested he was ...embarrassed? No, not quite embarrassed, something else...

"Um… Thanks...?" he said, shrinking back into the couch slightly as her gaze intensified. "...For saving me... That was..." he coughed, eyes searching the room as if it would help him word his reply properly. "...That was, uh... nice... of you...?"

"You don't seem very grateful." Maddie said, tone mildly annoyed. She wasn't annoyed at his reaction per say, but rather that she had expected a heartfelt reply from a creature devoid of all emotion. She should really know better... why was her guard slipping so much?

"No, no! I am, really! I just….. It's kinda creepy that… well," he trailed off, not wanting to offend her further. "What I mean to say is… I would never expect that you, being a ghost hunter, would want to help me." he said, looking up at her with a troubled expression.

Maddie considered his response, seeing the situation from his perspective. She moved from the chair and walked across the room to the edge of the couch Phantom was lying on and sat down. The ghost tensed up, sharp eyes watching for any signs of hostility she might make towards him.

The huntress looked down at his wound, which seemed to be well on the way to being fully healed. _If only humans healed so quickly, _she thought glumly_, So many deaths could be prevented..._

She took a deep breath before looking up at his face. "Look, I know that it must be awkward healing in a house full of ghost hunters, but I won't hurt you. My husband, Jack, is at a ghost hunter's convention, so he won't bother you either. And as for my children..." she pulled an irritated face as she thought of the scrapbook her daughter had made.

"Well, Danny's harmless, and has no interest in hunting ghosts... not to mention he lacks the ability; he's quite uncoordinated..." she said, trailing off as she noticed Phantom's expression of amusement. "...And my daughter seems to think you're a super hero." She finished.

The teen nodded, as if he expected this response. His eyes were downcast, hiding his expression from her as he thought something over. After a second he looked up at her, green eyes impassive. "...And what do you think, Maddie? Am I a hero or a villain to you?" he asked, suddenly sounding intense, like the answer would actually affect him in some significant way.

_Why would he care what I thought of him_? She wondered. More importantly, what did she think of him? Could she really still think that he was a villain, even after he had saved her life, and she had rescued him? If she did, that wouldn't make much sense... because it would inevitably mean that she had just helped a bad guy... and that was something she simply never did, or would ever do. So that could only mean that, however temporary –or permanent- her decision had been, she had put Phantom under the category of 'Good', ever since she had resolved to help him.

Did this mean that Phantom would stay under this 'category'? Maddie didn't know. Perhaps, when the ghost was fully healed and self-sufficient, they would part their separate ways and forget this had ever happened; and they would go back to being enemies, hunting each other whenever they got the chance. But today, and for the remainder of his stay, she would try and see him through the eyes of someone who was less educated on ghosts... someone who knew nothing about their *supposedly* vengeful natures... Someone like her daughter, who had completely ignored the facts about these emotionless creatures (That her parents had tried to lecture her on countless times) and now stood proudly in the defense of Phantom whenever she got the chance.

Maybe she could _try_ to understand...

She sighed, pulling herself from her thoughts before she got too carried away. "Well, I'm conflicted." She confessed. "You saved my life... that's definitely a hero quality. But you're a ghost... and everything I know about your kind leads me to believe that you're evil."

He frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. "Well... could it be possible that, maybe... not all ghosts are evil...?"

She smirked, despite the serious question. "Well... If that were the case, all of our research would be based on false assumptions. I'd like to think that that wasn't the case..." she frowned. "But then, that doesn't explain you... a ghost, that all evidence, apart from your heritage, leads to the assumption that you are, indeed, good. You're like a paradox..." she mused. "...A contradiction of your own species..."

The ghost's eyes turned hopeful, though Maddie couldn't fathom why. He wriggled around on the couch until he was lying on his back, and he pulled the blanket up to that it covered his chest. "...It's a start..." he said, yawning as he finished his sentence.

She raised an eyebrow at his reply, but stored it away for later instead of trying to decipher what he could have possibly meant by saying that. she stood, brushing her pants of the dust that wasn't there. "I'll let you rest, you look pretty tired. I'll be cleaning up around the house... so call me if you need anything." Maddie said, putting her hands on her hips and watching as the ghost seemingly relaxed.

"Okay... thanks_." _He said, closing his eyes. "And... No matter what you think, I really do appreciate it..." he said, voice becoming softer as he slowly drifted asleep.

* * *

Maddie set the broom down so that it was resting against the wall, and quickly brushed her hands together, surveying her work. Her eyes zoned in on a shattered beaker, and she sighed before walking over to it and sweeping it up into the trashcan.

_If Jack would clean up after himself once in a while, this would be a lot easier..._

Maddie wandered over to the bench and picked up her half-drunk coffee, taking a swig and grimacing when she realised it had gone cold. She gripped the cup in two hands and looked nervously towards the door, before she decided that now was a good time as any to go and check on her 'visitor'. She half expected for him to be gone as she mounted the stairs, but once she pushed the door open and peeked into the living room, her suspicions were proven false. Phantom was still sleeping peacefully on the sofa, almost in the same position she had left him in.

She stood in the doorway and gazed at him for a while, studying him closely. _He looks so young... He must be around Danny's age... _She thought sadly. _Which means he must have been Danny's age when he died. His poor parents... I don't know what I'd do if I lost Danny..._

She sighed as she made her way over to the kitchen, tipping her coffee down the sink and rinsing out the cup before setting it down in the drying rack. She looked up at the clock and sighed. It was Saturday, and it was about 11:30am. The ghost fight happened at around 7:30am, and Phantom had fallen asleep at around 9:00am.

_Wow. I cleaned the whole lab in 2 and a half hours. Time flies! _

Maddie hesitated as she went to walk back down to the lab. _Speaking of Danny, I haven't seen him all day... he must still be in bed..._

She shook her head and tip toed her way past phantom and up the stairs, walking quietly down the hall until she came to a stop outside his bedroom door. She opened the door a crack, expecting to see his figure lying on the bed wrapped in a tangle of blankets, only to find the bed empty.

_He must have left while I was with phantom. I better call his cell._

Maddie walked back down stairs to the phone in the kitchen and dialled his number, holding the receiver to her ear. She jumped in surprise when a ringtone sounded up right behind her, and she turned, sighing in annoyance when she realized it was Danny's. She quickly fumbled for the phone, declining the call and silencing the ringtone before it could wake up her guest in the next room. She held the phone to her chest and listened intently for the sound of phantom stirring, and once she was convinced he was still asleep, tried Sam's number.

_Whenever Danny is out, he's with Sam or Tucker. But mostly Sam because he looooo-_

"Hello, Danny?"

"Hi Sam, This is-" She quickly lowered her voice to a whisper,cringing at how loud she had been.

"...This is Mrs. Fenton" Maddie whispered.

"Oh, hi Mrs Fenton, why are you whispering?"

"I don't think you'll believe me, but I have Phantom sleeping on the couch!" She whispered again.

"WHAT!" Sam yelled so loud that Maddie's ears were ringing.

"It's okay Sam! He was injured so I'm helping him get well again... and then he'll go back to defending the town." Maddie explained. She knew that Sam was one of the ghost's supporters, and quickly reassured the girl that her hero was in no danger.

"Wow Mrs Fenton! Helping the Ghost boy, letting him go free, calling him the town defender?" Sam sounded shocked.

"Yeah I know, I'm kind of seeing him in a new light, especially after he saved me today." Maddie was still whispering but was watching phantom at the same time.

"Good for you Mrs. F! But is that why you called?" Maddie face palmed, (very quietly to not wake phantom) for getting so off track.

"Oh yeah... is Danny with you? Because I haven't seen him all day." She asked quietly.

"Umm... yeah! We're studying! Yeah... for a math test? So it might take a while, he might even need to sleep over because we are studying so hard!" Sam's voice wavered a bit, but Maddie didn't pick up on it.

"Well okay, can I speak to him?" She asked.

"Um, no. He's in the bathroom, and he probably won't be coming out soon. Not enough fiber in his diet. I suggest you make him some oat bran muffins." Maddie made a face of confusion.

"Uh, thanks for the suggestion. Tell Danny to study hard and that I love him." Maddie whispered.

"Will do Mrs F. I have to go study now, bye!" Sam said quickly and hung up.

_It's good to know that children nowadays value their education._ Maddie thought as she put the phone back on the receiver and walked into the living room. She smiled as she realized phantom was beginning to wake up, and walked over to him, anxious to check his wounds. Unknown to her, Phantom had been awake for some time now...

**AHHH! *Dodges nuclear bomb* I Know! I haven't updated in forever! DAMN WRITERS BLOCK! Excuse my french, but its really bugging me! I'm so happy my beta (phantoms-apprentice96) is re-editing my existing chapters. I don't know what I'd do without her! With her ideas I can probably overcome this nasty case of writers block;) Cross your fingers!**

**~Diana Phantom**


	3. Chapter 3

_*Last Chapter*_

_Maddie put the phone back on the receiver and walked into the living room. Phantom was just waking up. Little did she know that he had already been awake for some time..._

Danny POV

Danny woke from a strangely peaceful sleep, no longer able to ignore the pangs of hunger attacking him from within. His tired eyes scanned his surroundings, and just as the young ghost was trying to recall the last time he'd eaten, memories from the last few hours came back to him in a rush; shattering his almost trance-like state of calm. The room he found himself in now was all too familiar, as was the jarring sensation of having no body temperature.

In other words, he was still Phantom.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, he looked down at his injuries; refusing to allow his panic to overwhelm him. He reminded himself that Maddie... or rather, mom, had promised to take care of him while he healed, and was currently _not_ a threat to him. There was nothing for him to worry about... as long as his mother hadn't suddenly returned to her normal ghost-hating self...

...He'd only been asleep for a few hours. Surely she hadn't had enough time to change her mind...

His jumpsuit -which had suffered the full brunt of the blast- had already managed to knit itself together; something Danny had always been extremely grateful for. It was common for his suit to suffer tears and scorching, but to his relief, the suit seemed to posses ectoplasm properties of its own; and was therefore able to mend itself accordingly, much like his own body. Danny, having next to zero sewing skills, had been deeply grateful upon discovering this.

Underneath the protection of his jumpsuit, his mother had applied gauze to the areas affected by Skulker's blast. Dark green splotches had seeped through, but his wounds had sealed shortly after being treated and therefore had avoided making too much of a mess. He would've hated to stain their lavish white couch; especially since it would have sparked his father's interest and led to a very awkward explanation for not only his mother, but also for Phantom... that is, if his father were to ever catch him. Danny didn't deem it likely, but yet, it had happened before...

He also noticed his ankle was raised on a couple of pillows; it had tight bandages and an ice pack resting on it (the temperature had no effect on his already ice-cold body, but it was the thought that counted). Maddie had even given him a pillow to rest on and a warm blanket, too. The little luxuries sparked hope within him, leaving him to wonder if perhaps the relationship between Maddie Fenton and Danny Phantom could be salvaged.

_Where was she, anyway?_

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard the telltale signs of approach. Seconds later, he witnessed his mother distractedly make her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Before he got the chance to wonder what she was up to, he heard the condemning sound of his ring tone echo through the room; instantly filling him with dread.

_Oh crud... If she realizes her son disappeared at the time I showed up, she's going to get suspicious. Or maybe even blame me..._

_Wait, is that Sam?_

His enhanced hearing allowed him to listen in on the familiar voice, which was crackly and marred by static. Obviously his mom had resorted to calling Sam in order to find out her son's whereabouts. Danny could only hope his friend played along.

/Line break\

Danny sighed in relief, keeping his eyes closed as to keep up the illusion that he was still sleeping. His mother had ended the phone call and was apparently convinced that her son was indeed with his friends; studying for a math test. He was profoundly grateful for Sam's quick thinking, and he knew that this wasn't the first time she'd managed to keep him out of trouble. His hectic life was basically suspended by a string of intricately woven lies, and he knew that without Tucker and Sam there to support him, it'd all come crashing down quicker than he could blink.

As Maddie left the kitchen and sauntered into the living area, Danny let his eyes to flutter open and pretended to stifle a yawn; deciding that now was as good a time as ever to 'wake up'.

"Hi, Maddie." He watched as her eyes lit up in excitement, trying to keep back a smirk.

"Is everything okay? Are you feeling better?" Maddie asked, sounding as concerned as she would be for her own child. Or rather, if she knew it were her own child...

"Yeah, a lot better, actually. Thanks again." Danny said, flinching as his stomach growled. _Damn it..._

"Ghosts can get hungry?" Maddie asked, sounding uncertain. She stared at his stomach, as if she were waiting for something else to happen.

"Actually, no... but I do..." He answered quietly.

The pair shared an uncomfortable silence, and just as Danny began floundering for way to end it, Maddie cleared her throat. "So, you can eat?"

"Well, yeah." He said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "It'd be kinda pointless if I could get hungry, but couldn't eat."

Maddie didn't miss a beat, instantly going into 'questioning mode'. "So do you eat human food? Or is there, like, some kind of nutrients found in your world? Do any other ghosts eat? Can your kind get allergies to certain foods, or-"

"I can eat anything humans do." Danny replied, then as an after thought, added; "Well, besides toast."

"Why, is toast some kind of weakness for ghosts?" She asked excitedly, still staring at his stomach in awe. For Danny it was very… Awkward. He couldn't escape the feeling that he was under some kind of observation.

"Actually, I just don't like toast."

"Oh."

"But bread is fine! I just don't like it toasted." Danny explained.

"I can make a sandwich if you want." Maddie offered. She would never have thought she would have to feed a ghost.

"I'll help you." He said, swinging his legs over the side of the couch. He looked up at her and smiled. "Y'know, just to make sure the bread doesn't end up being toasted."

Maddie laughed quietly to herself, leading the way to the kitchen.

_/Line break\_

They walked into the kitchen, where Maddie retrieved bread and cold cuts; placing them out on the counter. Danny quickly offered to make both of them, and just to see if he actually could, Maddie agreed. She couldn't imagine Phantom, Amity Park's infamous ghost-hero, having the capabilities required to make something as normal and mundane as a sandwich. As it turned out, Phantom could not only make a sandwich, but make them well; as if it were something he did on a regular basis.

As they sat eating, Maddie kept trying to hold back laughter. It just looked so out of place for a ghost to be in the kitchen, doing something so normal.

"Hey Phantom?"

"Yeah?" He replied, trying to speak around his mouthful of food.

"Do you think you can give me lessons on cooking edible food?"

It was Danny's turn to laugh, and he only barely managed to swallow what he had left in his mouth. "Why? You're a bad cook? I don't believe it!"

"Well... every time I try to cook something, it either comes alive or smells like rancid ectoplasm." Maddie explained. "I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong."

_She really seems confused why she can't cook. I don't think she realizes that cooking with things that glow is not normal, _Danny mused. _"_Well, if it smells of ectoplasm, is it possible that ectoplasm is somehow getting into the food?" Danny asked innocently, putting on a face like he honestly didn't know.

Maddie bought it. "Actually, yeah. I put it in, why? Is that wrong?"

"Don't use it anymore. That kind of stuff isn't meant to be eaten." Danny said, trying not to laugh. "I mean seriously, I'm _made_ of ectoplasm; that basically means you're putting ghosts in your food."

"Oh, okay." Maddie said, seeming a little upset.

Danny was about to reassure her, maybe give her the whole 'we all make mistakes' speech, but he was cut off by a breath of cold air as it escaped his mouth in a small, almost unnoticeable wisp. He stopped dead, realizing what it meant.

His ghost sense had just gone off.

* * *

**AHHHHH! Another chapter Beta-ed by phantoms-apprentice96! I did absolutely nothing over my break so thank her for bringing something new-ish! Nest chapter is beta-ed too:D**


	4. Chapter 4

Maddie's POV

"Mom! Get back!" Phantom yelled, immediately adopting a defensive position.

Before I could react, or wonder why Phantom had called me 'Mom', a huge rabbit-like ghost burst through the wall. I guess it found it more fun to tear through harmless walls than go to simply go intangible. Ghosts did, after all, thrive on destruction.

_Well, except…_

The ghost roared, sending a spray of saliva everywhere. The ghost was bright green, had one large eye residing in the center of its forehead, and four gangly arms. It also had two ears, but one was half bitten off. It looked and smelled as if it had recently bathed in a sewer, and there was dirt and grime matted all throughout its hair.

The ghost lunged at Phantom, but only managed to scratch his arm as the teen flung himself out of the beast's path. The rabbit stumbled from missing its target, but quickly got back up and charged at Phantom again. Phantom, not even bothering with his usual witty banter, shot a blue beam in the creature's direction, then proceeded to shoot some ecto-blasts at it. The beast quickly dissipated, and Maddie assumed that it must have been quite a low level ghost for it to have been destroyed with only a few blows. Once the ghost had completely vanished, I noticed that it had left something behind. Phantom spotted the note too, and picked it up; proceeding to read it out loud.

"I heard you got injured from a ghost fight. Here's a get well gift to cheer you up….. _Plasmius!"_

_Who the heck is Plasmius?_"Uh… Phantom? I hope you don't mind me asking, but who's Plasmius?" I watched as Phantom looked up, clearly annoyed. No, actually, more like angry.

Phantom doesn't get angry easily, so whatever it is that got him this way must have some sort of significance. It probably wasn't a good idea to hang around an irritated ghost while unarmed…

"I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to ask-"

Phantom cut me off, his expression softening. "No it's not you. It's Plasmius. You probably know him as the Wisconsin ghost." He said, getting more annoyed as he spoke.

I nodded my response, remembering my last encounter with that ghost**.**

The ghost took this as a sign to continue."He's actually my arch-enemy. He's just like me…except, well, a sick, evil, twisted, forty year old version of me. The fruit loop knew I was injured and sent one of his 'creations' to kill me!"

"Relax Phantom! He sounds just like any other ghost you fight, why are you so upset over this one?"

"It's just that… well; he does things a lot worse than most of the others. Most of them just mess around, or vandalize buildings or whatever, and they only fight me cause I try to stop them. Plasmius purposely comes after me and tries to hurt me." He vented. He obviously didn't want to get too much further into this discussion, so I didn't push it.

"It's alright. If you want, I could help you track down the ghost." I offered, feeling guilty.

"Thanks but I really don't want you getting hurt because of me. I would never forgive myself." He said, eyes glazing over in thought. "Also, I have to get going. The ghosts are probably tearing up the town." He chuckled a little bit. "Thanks again for everything."

He stared at me with those glowing green eyes and smiled, starting to float upwards. _Was he going to leave!? No! I never got to talk to him!_

"Wait!" I yelled, quickly grabbing his attention. "Can you… come back to Fenton works some time? Maybe we can talk; ghost hunter to ghost hunter." I said, giving him a wry smile. "You know, without shooting at each other."

His eyes widened, and his mouth parted slightly as though he were awestruck. "Uhh Y-yeah! Of course..."

I smiled. "So… do we have a truce?"

He seemed thoughtful for a moment, then; "How 'bout…. Friends?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking as though he were waiting to be rejected. I found myself wondering if Phantom actually _had_ any friends…

"Friends."

We both smiled and he started floating upwards again.

"You better visit soon or I may have to track you down and beat you with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick!" I said jokingly.

"Oh no!" Phantom said, playing along and pretending to be afraid as he put his hands up in surrender. "Not the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick! You have found my one and only weakness!"

We both laughed. Phantom wiped a tear out of his eye."I promise I'll be back" He said, waving as he phased out of the room.

/Line break\

I had started making some fudge to clear my head -seeing as how it was about the only thing I could cook- when Danny finally walked in the door. He crossed the room with a huge smile plastered to his face, leaving me wondering what he was so happy about. Honestly, it was a rare occasion to see him like this, and the thought made me sad.

"Hi mom. That math test got cancelled, so I came home so that I could finish my other homework instead. It's due on, like, Monday... I think…" He said, forehead creased in concentration. "Anyway, I had dinner at Sam's, so I'm just going to study and go to bed. I'll… see you tomorrow." He said, smirking as if it were a joke.

He walked up the stairs and out of sight, before I heard the door slam behind him as he retreated to his room.

I raised a brow, knowing that he would probably just call one of his friends instead of doing homework. Maybe he was in a rush to call Sam.

I smirked down at the mixing bowl, shaking my head in amusement. _So clueless._

__**I know what you are thinking: "You've been gone for two months and all you can post are two old chapters... and you didn't even work on that?"  
**

**Yes, yes I did.  
**

**But I have a good reason! I'll let you know chapter 7... shhhhh it's a secret:P  
**

**And anyone who is reading this for the first time and is thinking, "What the heck? Chapter 7? But this is chapter 4!"  
**

**Yeah yeah I know... because chapters 3 and 4 weren't beta-ed... I decided to post these now before I post chapter 7...  
**

**I probably made it more confusing. Oh well, you can just ignore this part and read the actual readable stuff. Yeah. Bye!:D  
**

**~Diana Phantom  
**


	5. Chapter 5

_*Last Chapter*_

_"I promise I'll be back" He waved and phased out of the room._

* * *

"Jazz honey, can you get me a ladder?"

I was standing in the living room, my hands on my hips as I scrutinized the enemy. It was a green stain at the very top of the wall, well out of my reach, left over from one of my more recent battles. I'd been busy cleaning the house all morning, and had only just now noticed it.

"Uhh…Sure mom."

There was the sound of chair legs scraping across the floor in the kitchen, and then the sound of receding footsteps as Jazz walked out of the room. I let out a sigh; It was Saturday, and instead of getting out of the house and seeing her friends, Jazz had stayed at home to study for an AP Phycology test. I worried sometimes, worried that she spent too much time at home, or that she didn't seem to want to go out with her friends. Surely it wasn't healthy for her to constantly disdain herself from kids her own age, but then again, Jazz never really _had _acted her age, instead assuming the attitude and understanding of someone well beyond her years. I had no doubt that she'd excel in life due to her work ethic, but it would still make me feel better if she took a break now and then.

With Danny, I had the opposite problem. It seemed like he was never home anymore… most times he would disappear all weekend and I wouldn't see him until late Sunday night. Not to mention his grades…

I narrowed my eyes at the stain._ In fact, Danny was out right now; I think he'd said something about going to the movies with Tucker and Sam. No doubt he'll call later to tell me that he's not coming home tonight.  
_

Jazz entered the room, holding a ridiculously long ladder. It was a miracle that she was able to carry it on her own…

"What do you need this for anyway?" Jazz asked, setting the ladder down and wiping her forehead.

"Oh, there's some ectoplasm up on the wall that I was hoping to wash off." I said, gesturing at it before grabbing the ladder and propping it up against the wall. I glanced at Jazz's confused expression and sighed, setting my right foot on the bottom step of the ladder and facing her.

"Remember that vulture thing with the fez?" I asked. Jazz perked up, remembering how she had helped in the battle. I couldn't help but smile too, despite my annoyance; it was so rare that either of our children showed any interest in fighting ghosts, but at least Jazz had begun to.

"Oh, alright... Just be careful. I have to get back to studying." She said, already starting to walk back to the kitchen where her books were splayed out.

I turned my focus back to my opponent.

"You're going down." I muttered to myself. I grabbed a magic eraser sponge and scaled the rickety ladder. Once at the top, I began scrubbing furiously at the stain, muttering angrily to myself when it didn't seem to be budging. Just as I began fretting over the implications of having to repaint the whole room, the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" Jazz called as she ran to the door. I heard some exchanged whispers, but I was too absorbed in my task to look down.

"Mom! Someone's here to see you!" Jazz sang out. Her voice sounded too cheerful, the kind of tone she usually used when she knew something that you didn't. It normally would have been enough to spark my interest, but I was too annoyed to care.

There was a brief pause, then "I have to pick up a few books from the library that I forgot to grab. I'll be back soon." Then I heard jazz grab her bag and keys and close the door. I sighed and started to walk down the ladder, still holding the little white sponge when I realized I still hadn't greeted our guest.

"Oh! Uh… just a second…!" I called out

I turned around to greet the unknown guest, only to discover that it Phantom, standing awkwardly by the front door.

"Phantom!"

I lost my grip and slipped off the ladder, letting out a scream as I plummeted towards the ground. Instead of hitting the ground, however, I landed in someone's arms. _Phantom's_ arms, I realized with a start.

"Thanks." I said breathlessly, flinching slightly from his lack of body heat. His expression was full of concern as he lowered us toward the ground, carrying me bridal style and setting me down gently before taking a cautious step back.

"You're welcome." He said, smirking despite his obvious nervousness.

I brushed myself off and looked back up at the specter. He looked exactly the same as always, except for the slight shadow of fatigue under his eyes. Then again, I never did get to study him this closely; Perhaps the shadows were always there…?

He cleared his throat, seeming becoming uncomfortable with my silent stare. I internally cursed myself and said the first thing that came to mind in order to break the awkward silence.

"…Why did you use the door?"

He chuckled. "How else was I supposed to come in?" he asked, voice tinged with amusement.

"Well you could've just phased in." I said, putting my hands on my hips and smirking.

Now that I thought about it, why would he use a door? Ringing the doorbell? Requesting to come inside? It all seemed like such a waste of effort for a creature that could phase though anything.

Politeness… Mannerisms… these weren't characteristics that ghosts normally portrayed. So… why did he? What made him so different?

His expression became apologetic. "I didn't want to scare you by just appearing out of nowhere." He said, the hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Plus, you know, it could have ended badly if I had of snuck up on you… You having access to anti-ghost weapons and all."

I raised my eyebrows and smiled a little. "I thought we went over the whole 'I'm not going to shoot you' thing?"

He shrugged, smiling. "Just taking precautions."

I heard the timer on the oven go off, signaling that my muffins were ready. I walked briskly into the kitchen, not wanting to burn them. Phantom followed, and a small part of my mind marveled over the fact that he seemed comfortable with walking. Yet another thing that distanced him from others of his kind, seeing as how ghosts avoided walking whenever possible.

"Wow. That smells good! What is it?" He asked, staring suspiciously at the muffins as I set them on the table.

"I took your advice and brought a cookbook." I said, grinning triumphantly, "Feast your eyes; _Non-_ectoplasmic muffins."

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Really? So they're _actually _edible?" he asked, smiling playfully. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, but then smiled as I remembered him telling me that he could eat like a normal human. …again, this was peculiar; a trait unheard of when it came to ghosts.

"…Yeah. I was planning to have them ready for when my son comes home, if he comes home today." I answered, rolling my eyes.

"Oh… that's nice of you… I bet he'll enjoy them." He eyed the muffins, shaking his head in amusement. _"Normal muffins…"_

His head shot up, and I watched him nonchalantly walk back to the living room. I followed him, curious as to what he was doing.

He came to an abrupt stop beside the ladder. "So… what were you doing up on that ladder anyway? You don't strike me as the handyman type." He said, holding back a barely concealed smile.

I pouted and crossed my arms. "There's a stain on the top of the wall." I replied, pointing it out.

He looked up at it and smirked.

"Well… if you want, I can clean it for you" he suggested. "I can help you clean while we… uhhh… talk?"

…_.aaaaand now he's offering to do my chores. _"Sure, you can try to erase the stain with this." I picked up the sponge and handed it to him, eyeing him disbelievingly.

Phantom acted so _human_. He blended in so well that I often found myself thinking of him as a human, someone I would be friends with. I sighed; _Well_, _I guess we _did_ agree on being friends._

I watched him float up to the ceiling and begin cleaning. _How did this happen? _I mused._ Two weeks ago I thought all ghosts were evil… especially Phantom. And now he's in my house helping me clean? _I shook my head, smiling. _Who would've thought?_

"It seems like your always cleaning" Phantom called down from the ceiling, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"…I know…" I paused, biting my lip. "Hey, um… Phantom?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you come here in the first place?" I asked carefully, not wanting to offend him, but also wanting to know why he would bother showing up.

He paused, considering. "Well, you did threaten to beat me with an anti-creep stick," He joked. "And I figured you'd want to talk about ghosts and stuff… you being a scientist and all."

"So you'd willingly share information to help a ghost hunter?" I asked, voice full of surprise. There's no way… No ghost would give up secrets that could potentially lead to their downfall. It just didn't make sense. I mean, if I were in his situation, I certainly wouldn't want to give the ghost hunters something they could use against _me_.

"Well yeah." He shrugged, as if it was the most casual thing ever. "As long as there isn't any guns pointed at me." He said, his voice becoming more serious.

He looked at the now clean wall and then back at me, giving an accomplished sigh as he descended and landed silently on his feet in front of me. He was dangling the sponge between his thumb and forefinger, apparently unsure of what to do with it. "But there is one catch." He said.

_Of course. _I thought, becoming slightly concerned. _What did he want? Weapons? I couldn't give him weapons, could I? I mean, he fights ghosts too, but-_

"You have to let me try one of your muffins!" He said, beaming.

I laughed, unable to contain my surprize. _He wasn't serious... right? He'd exchange information for... a muffin?_

"_...A muffin...?"_ I said, looking up at his grin with a confused expression.

He nodded, his smile faltering. "Why? What did you think I-"

I shook my head, smiling. "Nothing... I just didn't think you'd liked my cooking"

His smile returned, his expression becoming mischievous. "Try me."

**I'm baaaaaaack! Sorry to keep every one waiting but there were some obstacles for both me and my beta. But do not fear, we have brought you another chapter! I'm already brainstorming for chapter 6, but I don't know where to go with it. Maybe you could leave a little review with either your wonderful ideas or what you liked/disliked about this chapter. You know how I like reviews:)**

**Also, I'm closing the poll I had for this chapter on 7/16 and I put one up now pertaining to this fic.  
**

**~Diana Phantom  
**

**P.S. Congrats to _lion799_ and _Echo Spe_ctre for answering my questions last chapter and getting them right! These people know their DP! ;P  
**


	6. Chapter 6

_*Last chapter*_

_I shook my head, smiling. "Nothing... I just didn't think you liked my cooking"_

_His smile returned, his expression becoming mischievous. "Try me."_

* * *

_I can't believe it._ I thought, tapping the end of my pencil against the notepad in my lap. _I never thought Phantom had __**this**__ many enemies._

My eyes flickered to the ghost sitting directly across the table from me. His shoulders were relaxed as he slowly picked apart his third muffin of the afternoon. The urge to ask about his appetite flickered in the back of my mind, but I ignored it on the notion that I already had enough new information to mull over without adding more to the pile. There was no way I'd be able to remember everything Phantom had been lecturing me over; hence the necessity of a notepad.

"-so you're going to need a really big flashlight." He concluded, popping the last of the muffin into his mouth. "...You're better off to target Shadow; that way, when you defeat him, you take out both of them at once... Sorta like hitting two birds with one stone."

I scrawled some notes on the paper for later referencing and sighed inwardly. Phantom had only given me the Bios of five ghosts –six if you counted shadow and Johnny separately- and I was already feeling way in over my head. These ghosts were all very minor, ranging from level ones to level fours; and yet, looking over the list of abilities was making me feel extremely underprepared and ill-informed. It would take our more advanced weapons to defeat one of these... what would happen if we were to face a higher ranking spectre...?

"Now..." he began in a serious tone, setting the wrapper down on the table. "I need you to promise not to pick fights with anyone I haven't mentioned today. I don't want you going out and attacking something you're totally unprepared for; that's my job." He said, smirking.

I nodded; "Fine. I won't go looking for trouble; but I'm not going to stand back and watch if someone is in danger."

Phantom's mouth quirked into a half smile. "I know."

We sat in silence for a moment, and I took the opportunity to check over my transcriptions; adding footnotes and further queries that were to be investigated next time I had access to a computer. I still had so many questions, but I didn't want to scare him away by being overbearing – I'd just have to wait for another opportunity.

"Uhh...Maddie? Can I ask you a question?" He asked, looking up at me hopefully.

I shrugged, twirling the pen between my fingers. "Sure. I've asked _you_plenty of questions... it only seems fair."

He took a deep breath before proceeding."...Do you... believe in half ghosts?"

My eyes widened, and there was a muffled thump as my pen fell from my grip. "_Half ghosts?" _I asked, unable to raise my voice above a murmur. "What on earth would the other half be composed of?_"_

When I looked up, Phantom's gaze was locked on me with a large degree of intensity, indicating that his question had been a serious one. _How could he be so serious on such an outlandish topic...?_

His hands were resting on his thighs, and I could see his fingers digging into the fabric as he processed my reaction. "Uhh... Human; Like a hybrid. You know... half human, _half ghost_-" he eyed me expectantly.

"Ghosts are incapable of reproducing, Phantom... You should know that..." I said, folding my hands in my lap and preparing myself for a long explanation. "And they certainly wouldn't be able to reproduce with a human; the idea alone is completely absurd. For a ghost to become fond of an individual outside their own species..." I shrugged, smiling wryly. "It just doesn't happen. And it never will happen; so you don't have to start worrying about having to fight strange little..._Hybrids_."

His expression seemed glazed over, as if I was only seeing an empty shell of his former self. "That's not what I-" He stiffened, head snapping around to look at the front door with unfocused eyes.

"Someone's here." He announced quietly.

A few seconds later, the audible sound of footsteps were heard from the front steps; and finally, the sound of jangling keys being shoved into the lock just before the door swung open.

A figure with tangled red hair walked in, closing the door behind them while trying to tame their wild mane. "_._..Hey Mom I'm home. You wouldn't believe how windy-"

Jazz stopped to stare at us, shock written all over her face. An awkward silence followed, making me start to wonder if there was some kind of hostility between the two that I wasn't aware of. _There'd have to be for Jazz to look so... angry..._

Eventually it was phantom that broke the silence. He stood abruptly; after having a minute long staring competition with the girl across the room. "Well Maddie," he said, yawning and having a quick stretch in an attempt to restore the casualness of the situation. "I have to leave; got things to do, places to be, ghosts to catch... you know how it is. I'll be sure to uh... _drop in_, soon." He said, not taking his eyes off Jazz the whole time.

"Sure, I'll see you soon. Thanks for coming." I muttered, too confused by the pair's behavior to construct a better response.

"Yeah _Phantom,_" Jazz said with a hint of malice. "Thanks for coming; I'm sure _Mom_ had a lovely time." She turned and began ascending the stairs, hesitating on the fourth step as something seemed to come to her mind. "Oh, _and Mom_?" she called over her shoulder in a too innocent voice, "When Danny gets home, can you please tell him that I need to speak with him? Thank you!" she shouted, then hurried up the stairs and out of sight.

Phantom sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking slightly. "Why do I get the feeling she doesn't approve of this arrangement?" he muttered, rolling his eyes.

I laughed, shooting him an apologetic look. "She's just overprotective, is all. Probably thinks you might attack me."

"Yeah...I'd better go..." he said, making his way to the front door. "I'll see you around Maddie."

* * *

*Jazz POV... Maddie can't know about this conversation*

"I see you." I called out to the hall, folding my arms over my chest as I sat on the edge of my bed.

"Darn it..."

Danny's head peeked in through the crack of my bedroom door, a sheepish smile on his face. "Hey Jazz. Mom says you wanted to talk to me...?" He asked, taking a large bite of yet another oat bran muffin.

"This isn't a joke, Danny." I reprimanded. "We need to have a serious discussion abou-"

"Which is precisely why I attempted to sneak past your bedroom door." He interrupted, speaking with a mouthful of food. "See, when you say 'serious discussion', you really mean 'all out lecture'; and Jazz, no offence, but your lectures aren't very fun."

I motioned for him to come inside. "Too bad. Lecture or not, we need to talk."

I walked past him and closed the door, clicking the lock so that we wouldn't be interrupted by Mom and Dad. After I was sure the door wouldn't budge (the lock could be a little faulty sometimes) I turned back to my brother, who was standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room, his arms crossed over his chest protectively.

"Danny... You told me it would be a quick, friendly visit. You know, to make Mom trust you a little more?!" I whisper-yelled.

"She does trust me more." He whispered back, frowning. "I just, I dunno_, rewarded_ her for being so tolerant of me and being willing to listen for once. It's nothing to be worried about."

I face palmed angrily. "You gave her ghost hunting tips! How is that helping your situation!? For all you know she could be planning to use them against you!"

"With the information I gave her, she'll be able to beat the ghosts without having to waste time figuring out _how_ to beat them. Less time wasted equals less time fighting ghosts; which essentially equals less injuries." He paused, kicking at the carpet irritably. "And it's not like I gave her _my_weaknesses. I'm not that stupid."

"But this is just going to make her want to hunt ghosts _more_... Maybe you should have just stuck to the friendly conversation side of things... you know, had a _normal conversation_ on _normal topics_..." I let out a breathy sigh. "Or have you forgotten how to be normal?"

He rolled his eyes. "Jazz, I'm sorry, ok? I'll fix this."

"How? You need to think this through before you dig yourself into a situation you can't get out of." I folded my arms. "What about your secret? How are you going to manage to keep that intact if she _already_ has you spilling your guts?"

"I can take care of myself." He said, pacing moodily across the room and opening the door, pausing only when half of his body was left visible from where I was standing.

"You'll just have to trust me."

* * *

**Ahhhhhh! Finally! Why am I so slow on updating? The world may never know...**

**Anyway I bring you another overdue chapter, but wait! Does this chapter seem to you like I figured out where this story is going? Maybe *eyebrow waggle***

**Tell me how I did... really, please do... Reviews make me update faster! (No joke)  
**

**And thanks again to _phantoms-apprentice96... _she is what makes this fic enjoyable:P  
**

**~Diana Phantom**


	7. Chapter 7

_Halfa._

The word sent a shiver through me as I whispered it under my breath, filling me with a sense of unease. It were as if I'd heard the word before... Or rather, that I _should_have heard it before...

_Halfa… half of…  
_

My fingers slid over cold, polished metal as I gently set the small contraption on the counter; my eyes straying to the exit before I forced myself to focus. Placing my hands palm down on the equally frigid bench top, I leant forward on the tips of my toes and arched my back; attempting to wring out the escalating amount of knotted muscle that seemed to enjoy residing there. After rolling my shoulders and neck a few times, I straightened my posture and let out an exhausted sigh; all the more uninterested in the task I'd set myself.

My mind wouldn't stop wandering, and with all the stray thoughts bubbling around in my head, (and with the other portion of my brain busy trying to manage them all) there was just no way I could possibly focus on fixing the small ray-gun as I'd previously promised my husband. It wasn't my fault it was broken anyway; if Jack would learn to put his things away after playing with them instead of leaving them in the couch crevices and later sitting on them, there wouldn't be a problem. Maybe it would be better to teach the man a lesson and force him to fix it himself.

Though, I wasn't _really _angry at jack. He'd always been like this; childish, yet lovable. Clueless, yet caring... It was the reason I loved him, so it was hardly fair for me to complain. The real reason I was agitated was due to the lousy week I'd been having; from Danny getting a letter home from the principal for skipping class, getting a parking ticket, down to my failed cooking endeavours - the last few days hadn't exactly been joyous. On top of it all, I hadn't heard tell of Phantom's doings for the last few days, and the worry was getting to me.

_Halfa. Half ghost, half human._

I sighed in exasperation. Why would Phantom even bring something like that up? Surely he knew such a thing couldn't be real; he was fairly intelligent, all things considered... So what had caught his interest in a subject that seemed so far-fetched? Surely he didn't come up with it himself, so... Had someone of his fellow species convinced him of this nonsense? Where they trying to scare him?

The idea was troubling, to say the least... For all I knew, they were trying to manipulate the young ghost...

I knew I probably shouldn't have been this concerned, but I couldn't seem to ignore the lead weight that'd settled in my stomach ever since he'd mentioned the strange word. For some reason, I'd been feeling somewhat jumpy; as if just mentioning the abbreviation was a crime in itself, let alone investigating its origin. The way Phantom had said Halfa was enough for me to know that it was somewhat of a taboo, yet he had also seemed somewhat... hopeful?

Was it that he _wanted_ Halfas to exist?

I shuddered. That didn't make sense... Phantom fought ghosts, why would he want to be involved with these strange hybrids? Perhaps he was looking for a more formidable foe?

Doubtful.

I looked over at the computer, itching to type the words into the search engine and see what came of it. It couldn't hurt to just browse the results, surely... Even if it did just end up being some sort of twisted fairy tale...

Hours of aimless searching came up empty handed, leaving me more confused than ever. Ignoring the sudden urge to throw the monitor across the room, I quickly stood and strode out the door, eager to go for a walk in order to clear my head.

On my way through the kitchen I paused, quickly scribbling a _"Back Soon"_ on a piece of loose leaf and leaving it on the counter. I then grabbed my coat, exited through the front door and started walking down the sidewalk with a sullen look shadowing my features

.  
Maybe I'm just thinking too much about it. Maybe it was a little joke; something he made up in his spare time to keep himself from dying of boredom in between ghost fights. He did seem to be on his own a lot, and the afterlife of a ghost was renowned for being a lonely one... Maybe these stories were some sort of coping mechanism?

I laughed softly to myself. Nah, now I'm just overthinking it. Either he'd been tricked into believing it, or this was some kind of practical joke... yeah. What was wrong with a joke among friends, after all? People did it all the time, though they were probably never this bizarre... He was probably just trying to be friendly... he was probably out of practice with the whole friend thing, being dead and all. I mean, who else would be willing to befriend a ghost?

My musings were interrupted by a high pitched whine somewhere above me. I looked up, just in time to see a flash of light bank across the sky with ferocious accuracy and envelope... Uhh...

While I floundered through my memory in hope of remembering the metal-suited ghost's name, I watched as the ghost in question (the same one that had started the whole Phantom mess in the first place) was sucked into the thermos, swearing his revenge at the child until he was entirely confined within the (almost) soundproof thermos.

"Hasta la vista, baby!" Phantom taunted, rattling the thermos in his right hand with a smug look on his face. I quickly ducked into the nearest bush, not wanting to be caught spying on ghost, friend or not.

From my hiding spot, I observed a lean dark-haired girl approach the spectre as he

landed, arms crossed over her chest in a somewhat incredulous manner. "Really?"  
She asked, a brow cocked in question. I recognised the voice instantly, even from this distance. It was hard not to, seeing as how I heard it often enough; Sam always seemed to be with Danny. My Danny, that is, not- Well, not the dead one...

Until now, I hadn't even known Phantom and Sam knew each other, let alone have some form of friendship.

"What? I couldn't think of anything else." Phantom replied, barely dodging a playful punch on Sam's behalf. He chuckled, kicking off the ground and taking to the safety of the sky so that he was just out of her reach, hands facing outwards in surrender. "Hey! Come on Sam, it wasn't that bad." He said playfully, putting on a fake expression of hurt.

"Danny, that was probably in the list of top ten of cheesiest things you've ever said, and with your track record, that's not good." She said, brushing hair out of her eyes and smiling up at him tauntingly. "You really should work on that."

He smirked, placing his hands on his hips and drifting ever so slightly closer; clearly testing to see if Sam would attack him again. "I think that's quite an achievement, actually." He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "And anyway, I wasn't aware you were keeping a record. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you _enjoyed_ my awe-inspiring puns."

"Oh that's it! You've done it now, _Inviso-Bill_." She taunted; the expressions of threat and amusement somehow co-existing in her bright amethyst eyes. For some reason, the way Sam used the name Amity Park had bestowed upon Phantom seemed to be some kind of insult. "You get down here right now before I suck you into the thermos!"

Phantom quickly complied; stepping down onto the pavement just as a flash of mock suspicion crossed his features. "Waaaait a minute, you haven't got the thermos, I have..." he said, pretending as if he'd only just remembered he had it.

"Not for long!" She announced, lunging at the device in the ghost's hands before he had time to react. She playfully plucked it away from him and lurched backwards before he could counteract her actions. Then, she lifted the device and aimed it at his face like a gun; struggling to withhold her laughter as she attempted a threatening look.

Phantom held his hands over his head, chuckling some more. "S-Sam! No, don't-" He said, trying to sound scared but bursting into hysterics instead, leading them both into a fit of laughter. "Don't trap me in the Th-thermos with Skulker! I'll do anything!"

Sam pretended to think about it, then dropped the thermos to her side. "Well... I guess I'll spare you this time. But you have to promise me no more Puns, alright?"

Phantom's smile widened, his luminescent eyes taking on a mischievous gleam as he replied. "Ok, Sam. I, Danny Phantom, Ghostly-hero of Amity Park, does hereby swear on his _**life**_ that he will no longer make distasteful puns... even if Sam secretly enjoys them." He chuckled, quickly retreating to the air and placing himself wisely out of the girl's reach.

"Ugh! They just keep getting worse!" She groaned, clasping her hands over her ears as if to drown out his laughter.

Phantom just continued to laugh. "You get it?" He chuckled, "its funny cause I don't have a life to bet on, and-"

"Shut up, Danny. You're just digging yourself a hole." She warned, crossing her arms. "I- Ugh! I can't even believe you just pulled that on me. I hope you're happy, Danny; you just beat the record for lamest joke ever. I can't even find any words harsh enough to describe it."

He chuckled to himself a little, landing on the pavement behind her and approaching the girl, putting a hand on her shoulder and gesturing out towards the horizon in a sweeping gesture with his other hand. "Stick with me, Sam, and you'll have all the terrible jokes you could ever possibly want." He joked, wincing and stepping back as she elbowed him in the stomach.

"As tempting as that offer is, I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass." She said, smirking a little. "Besides, we've still got a patrol to do... or did you forget?"

"Hey, it takes a lot of brainpower to come up with these things, you know." Phantom said with a smile, but then his expression sobered and he said, "I'll take the warehouse district, and check on Tuck on the west side. He hasn't checked in for a little while, come to think of it..." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then "will you be okay to patrol the park on your own?"

The teenaged girl frowned. "I'm not a piece of glass, Danny."

Phantom smiled brightly, eyes brightening to a substantial glow as he began to fly away. "I know. But I also know that you like to take things on by yourself; it's why I worry so much."

"Well stop worrying, I never asked you to." She said seriously.

"I'll stop worrying when I stop breathing." He quipped. "So until then, try to keep out of trouble, alright?" Then, after flashing her one of those typical Slightly-more-than-friends smiles, he disappeared.

Sam began grumbling to herself, but her face told a different story. Her cheeks were tinged with a slight blush, and she kept her face downcast as she walked away as if she were embarrassed.

My mind was reeling; _that was the same look Danny gave Sam when-_

Oh...

"_Half ghost? __What on earth would the other half be composed of?__"_

"_Uhh... Human; Like a hybrid. You know... half human, half ghost-"  
_

"_Ghosts are incapable of reproducing, Phantom... You should know that... and they certainly wouldn't be able to reproduce with a human; the idea alone is completely absurd. For a ghost to become fond of an individual outside their own species-... It just doesn't happen. And it never will happen; so you don't have to start worrying about having to fight strange little...Hybrids."  
_

My head started throbbing as a myriad of thoughts and ideas came flooding into my mind. I closed my eyes, fighting to make sense of them.

"_Ghosts are incapable of reproducing."_

...Aren't they?

"_Ghosts never become fond of an individual outside their own species-... It just doesn't happen."_

...But Phantom isn't an ordinary ghost. _What if..._

"SAM!" I exclaimed in horror, springing out of my hiding spot and running frantically in the direction Sam had just gone. It became quickly evident that the girl had been in a hurry, because after a quick search I discovered she was already too far gone for me to catch her.

Panic stricken, I continued looking around, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of either of the two hormone stricken teens. I came across a family having a picnic nearby: all of whom were staring in my direction in horror, completely frozen. A little girl about the age of six stared at me with wide, terrified blue eyes and trembled, not even flinching as her ice-cream cone fell from her grip and splatted on the grass.

With Phantom and Sam's possible relationship distracting me, it took a minute for me to realise what was wrong. I would have looked like a lunatic coming out of that bush! And with young children nearby no less...

"Uhh... Sorry 'bout that!" I said, waving apologetically and trying to keep from blushing. I quickly scooted away from the family, picking dead leaves and twigs from my hair as I went.

They must have been new to town... it took quite a bit more than a crazy person in the bushes to scare a local.

* * *

After ten minutes of reassuring myself that Phantom and Sam aren't going to… do anything drastic any time soon, I regretfully made my way back home; reasoning that it would be near impossible for me to find them at this hour anyway. As I walked in the door, I kept trying to think of a way to deal with the delicate situation without being 'rash' and possibly ruining my friendship with Phantom. But the conversation about half ghost half humans kept repeating itself in my head, and the longer it went on, the more I was convinced that I needed to step in before the pair did something... regretful.

Another thing that had me worried was my son's reaction. I knew for a fact that he had feelings for the girl, and yet she was off fraternizing with a ghost? He'd be absolutely heartbroken if he found out...

"Mom?!"

"Danny? Wow, you're actually home for once." I mused aloud, trying for a casual tone. He looked nervous as he ascended the stairs leading from the Lab, as if he'd been caught doing something wrong.

"Uhhh ha, yeah, about that... I just came for- uh, I mean I just forgot my… um….. WALLET! Yeah! My wallet… was the thing I _totally_ forgot…" Danny stuttered, edging towards the doorway. "Sooo, yeah. I'll be with Tucker and Sam ifyouneedmebye!"

He quickly made a break for the door, but was stopped in his tracks as I caught him by the wrist. He turned around and gulped.

"Where are you going to be?" I asked, even though I had heard what he said.

"With Sam… and Tucker."

I frowned. "That reminds me… can we talk Danny?" I asked, though it was more of an order than an actual request. I steered him towards the couch, preparing for a long, awkward talk as he seemed to stiffen under my grip. It was as if he could sense the impending torment...

* * *

I slowly got up and walked over to the front door; Danny had left so fast that he hadn't even bothered to close it, which was pretty reasonable considering the way he'd turned green and run from the room stammering some half-hearted excuse about not feeling well. I guess he'd been so intent on getting away that he hadn't even had a thought for common courtesies.

'The talk' hadn't exactly gone as planned.

Too bad Jack hadn't been around; guy to guy talks were a lot easier, especially when it involved hormones and relationships and all that other stuff Teens dreaded their parents bringing up. In fact, I probably should have waited until Jack could do it; I'd probably just made things worse for Danny when he did find out about Sam...

I closed the front door and decided to head down to the lab to work on something else. Maybe I should work on what I was going to say to Phantom, seeing as how Danny's talk had gone so appallingly. Thing was, Phantom was far more elusive than Danny and could easily go invisible or maybe even teleport away if he found the conversation making a turn for the worst. Or, if I happened to offend him (Which was very likely; there was no delicate way to tell him that it's wrong for him to be with a human.) he could even go as far as lashing out; something I definitely didn't want to happen.

Still, if there was anything more dangerous than a ghost on a rampage, it was hormones- and since Phantom was different from others of his kind and seemed to actually possess them (at least, to an extent), something would have to be done... and since I was the only adult figure in his 'life', well_..._

I sighed, looking down at a piece of paper in surrender. I grabbed a pen and began jotting down notes, trying to think of ways to bring up the impending conversation. I really hated to do this to him- to put him on the spot and probably make him feel embarrassed or even upset- but he was my friend; and friends always kept your best interests at heart... even if they don't agree with said interests at the time...

He'd thank me one day.

I hope.

* * *

******To make up for the wait... this chapter is twice as long! Plus we've got some Danny awkwardness going on there:P And not to worry, the akwardness doesn't end there... Mwahaha!;) My excuse for the long wait... PSATs. If you want to know what exactly happened, read about what happened in my profile... I'm to lazy to re-write it:D And sorry if I did not respond and/or give thanks to your review! Because I've been gone a long time it's confusing which one's I have responded to and which ones I haven't. So to all the people who did review: THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I promise I'll respond to them from this point forward!:D  
**

******Also, I hope everyone on the east coast is okay. I also got affected by Sandy, but I was very lucky to get away from it unlike a lot of my friends who are sitting in a cold, flooded house. ********What's worse is that we are getting another storm... **My heart goes out to those people and will be in my prayers:)  


**Editor's note:** Guys, I'm really really really sorry. The late update wasn't just Diana's fault... she sent me this chapter like a week ago and I just haven't had the time to do it until now, so... yeah. You can redirect about 30% of your pitchforks in my direction if you want. ^_^; Uh... other than that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And you should all give Diana hugs (the non-choking kind) 'cause she's finally found the time to continue this! Till next time, guys! *Teleports away*

**My 2nd A/N: I know some... okay **_**most**_** of you are pretty upset with me too... But instead of impaling me and **_**Phantoms-apprentice96 **_**with pitchforks... why don't we save puppies. I know my love for puppies is stronger that hatred for any writer... how about you?;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sooooooo... before we get on with the story, I always feel obligated to give you people an excuse. I have a lot of work, and **_**Phantom's-Apprentice96**_** was without internet for a while (I would die). Okay excuse is over. Enjoy!**

* * *

Taking a deep breath, I ended my pacing at the kitchen table; reaching out and gripping the Fenton thermos gingerly. This had gone far enough. I had no choice but to step in before Phantom made a mess of things. I had to stop Sam from getting caught up in something she'd live to regret.

I had to keep my son from getting hurt.

I balanced the device in my palm for a moment, trying to push down the guilty feeling that had begun rising in my chest. I'd made a promise long ago that I would never allow a ghost to harm my children, but I'd never imagined I'd be forced to protect my youngest son from a ghost I considered a friend. Of course, I _had_ to keep the promise, but... it was definitely proving to be more difficult than I'd anticipated. You couldn't imprison a friend in order to protect your child without expecting repercussions. Especially not when that _friend_ didn't know what they were doing was wrong.

But that only left the overly-complicated _civilized_ way of handling things. I'd have to confront him and hope he'd realize his mistakes. Otherwise...

Well, that's what the Thermos was for.

Hopefully such drastic measures wouldn't be necessary. They _shouldn't _be necessary, theoretically speaking; Phantom and I were on friendly terms now. Surely I wouldn't be given a reason to detain him during such a simple conversation? He'd shown the ability to think rationally and it wasn't as if he'd ever really shown signs of true aggression towards me...

Then again, this still wasn't going to be an easy conversation. Despite everything Phantom was still a ghost, and no matter how... _different _he was compared to his less-rational kin, his emotions were still unstable. Most ghosts became hostile with even the slightest of provocations, and even though Phantom was capable of some form of reasoning, being told that what he was doing –or planning to do- was basically a crime against nature wasn't going to go down well.

Though... I didn't necessarily blame him. It was obvious that Phantom hadn't had a parental figure in his life for some time now, and it wasn't likely that he'd found a reliable mentor among his own kind. The situation between Phantom and Sam could only really be chalked up to a lack of guidance, and as a friend, I owed him at least that.

The problem was whether or not he would accept it.

Numbly clipping the Thermos to my belt, I closed my eyes and recalled my previous failure to give 'The Talk'. It was obvious that Danny hadn't been too thrilled to be put through it, and the whole thing had been destined to fail from the beginning. But since then I'd thought it through, and hopefully this time when I tried again with Phantom it wouldn't end up as such a frenzied mess. I'd had time to calm down and plan the looming confrontation, essentially giving the both of us a lesser chance of getting hurt; whether that be physically or emotionally.

I made my way to the front door and peered out the window. I could tell it was cold outside by how quickly my breath fogged up the glass, and if the foreboding layer of darkened clouds were anything to go by, we were likely in for a bit of rain, too. That was... lucky. It gave me a reason to wear my trench coat and keep Phantom from noticing the thermos.

Not that he'd be angry if he knew I had it_... right?_

No, we trusted each other. He'd at least give me a chance to explain... and it was for his own good. For _Sam's_ own good. Even for the good of the town. We wouldn't stand a chance if these hybrids were born with a natural immunity to ghost weapons, and what if they were indistinguishable from normal humans? What if we couldn't tell friend from foe?

I wouldn't allow it.

Without any further thought, I adorned my coat and left FentonWorks; heading down the street with no particular direction in mind. Phantom could be found just about anywhere, therefore making tracing his whereabouts near impossible (without the use of tracking devices, all of which were either broken or mysteriously misplaced). There had even been a time when we'd spotted him in the middle of the desert during a camping trip, though at the time he'd seemed a bit... out of it. In fact, I'd been meaning to ask why he'd been firing at that rock formation for a while now...

Despite the odd occurrences, however, Phantom's 'haunt' generally seemed to be based around Amity Park, almost to the point of being obsessive. Ghosts tended to spend small portions of time in the human realm before returning to their home world, the Ghost Zone, but that didn't seem to be the case with Phantom. There never seemed to be any prolonged absences in his case, almost as if he never went back at all.

Of course, this observation only added to the growing pile of questions regarding the ghostly teen.

Despite the obvious setbacks one would face while trying to locate a child that could turn invisible on a whim, there were a few tell-tale signs of ghostly activity that could easily be applied to the problem; most of which included screaming citizens as they fled the scene of a ghost fight and other unpleasant loud noises. Cold spots, too, could prove useful, though this time I ended up finding him rather easily purely by keeping my gaze skyward.

He was swooping in lazy circles above a nearby neighborhood when I finally found him. He appeared to have his eyes closed, and his shoulders were set in a relaxed position as he soared through the skies; apparently with no regard for the cold wind or looming rain. I hugged my coat around myself -making sure the thermos was out of sight- before staring reproachfully up at the sky, trying to swallow my dread.

"_...Phantom...?"_

His flight halted immediately, head snapping around until his bright eyes locked onto my own. He immediately broke out into a grin and gave a playful wave, though his hand quickly flopped back to his side as his gaze swept skyward; scrutinizing the horizon. He was too far up for me to be certain, but when he turned back to me I was sure his expression was that of worry.

I found myself scanning the skies as he descended; trying to deduce what had him suddenly on edge. Unfortunately, I didn't get long to look before my gaze was once again claimed by the ghost as he touched down a few feet away. He tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms, as if deciding something of utmost importance. He looked... concerned.

"...Maddie? What are you doing out in this weather?"

I frowned. So he had noticed the approaching storm... and yet he seemed to be completely ignorant for his own safety. Typical.

"I... could ask you the same thing, Phantom." I replied coolly, glancing up at where I'd first spotted him. "Don't you know it's dangerous to fly during a storm?"

His eyebrows waggled, obviously not pleased with having the question turned on him. "What's a little danger to a dead kid? Ain't like I'm gunna be electrocuted, that's what intangibility's for. Besides, don't _you _know more natural portals open during storms? Someone's gotta be around to 'redirect' the _wayward travelers_."

"That's just a myth, Phantom. There's no evidence to prove that portals are more active during storms, or any other kind of weather, for that matter." I snapped, beginning to lose my nerve. If I didn't bring the topic up soon, I never would.

The teen rocked back on his heels lightly, blowing out a puff of air. "Sheesh, someone's not in a good mood. Maybe I should just... I mean, I can just go?" He offered, eyes gouging my reaction. "Unless... has something happened? Do you need me?"

I froze for a moment as I processed his question, finally jerking a thumb over my shoulder in the direction of a nearby alleyway as a form of reply. When all I got from him was a confused stare, I elaborated. "We need to talk. Now. _In private._"

We both flinched at my cold tone, but Phantom seemed to grasp what I was saying and followed my lead until we were standing together in the secluded side street. Dumpsters lined the grimy brick walls, and there was very poor lighting; making it seem quite sinister. If it weren't for the fact that Phantom was with me, I never would have considered coming near it... though I had to admit it was perfect in terms of seclusion.

I looked back at my companion, realizing too late that it was probably the worst thing I could do to calm my nerves. His silent stare was unnerving, but I could tell he was struggling to be patient and keep from asking any questions; probably hoping I would reveal the answers without prompting. His face held a steady frown, though it was one of confusion, not anger.

In other words, he was silent, I had his attention, and we were alone.

It was now or never.

"Phantom, we need to discuss something very... important. I need you to hear me out, alright?" I asked, hugging myself tighter as a show of discomfort.

Phantom's forehead creased in worry. "Hang on, have I done something wrong?"

"Not... exactly. But there is something you need to know." I took a sharp intake of breath, steeling myself. "Now, I understand that you probably died before your parents had... a certain discussion with you. And since we're friends and we're supposed to look out for each other, I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with getting it from me. Or, not live, but-"

I stopped myself, realizing I was rambling. Quickly thinking back to my –mostly- memorized speech, I continued with the next point, making sure not to give the teen a chance to object. "So uh, truth is, I've been thinking about that discussion we had a couple of days ago about... '_Halfas'_, and... I think I finally understand what you were trying to say."

At this, Phantom took an unconscious step back. His posture had gone completely ridged, and his eyes were wide with sudden fear. He _definitely _wanted to say something now, but I held up a hand to stop him.

"Let me finish."

"But Mo-Maddie, I didn't... I mean, _I'm not-"_

"Please, this is hard enough as it is, Phantom. Just let me finish_, _then you can talk." I said firmly. "You said you'd hear me out, and I'm holding you to it."

"But-"

I silenced him with a glare, crossing my arms tightly. "I understand that you are a teenage boy, Phantom. More importantly, you appear to be... growing, even _aging._ It's not unheard of for a ghost's appearance to change, but it's usually something that occurs after an increase of power, and abruptly at that. You, on the other hand, have been growing at a very gradual rate; almost exactly like a human teenager. This is probably why... well, it _must _be why you've been going through these hormonal changes. And although this must be quite... _unexpected _and _difficult_ for someone of your species, you must remember your boundaries and control yourself."

I regarded him for a moment, noticing how his expression had gone from alarmed to very, very confused. I shot him an attentive smile, trying to ease his remaining panic. I didn't want to scare him off before I got to the point. That would just make this whole exercise pointless.

"It's just, I want you to know that even though you're starting to think about finding a companion, it would be better to wait until you're older. And, well, it needs to be someone of your _own kind,_ Phantom."

"Wait. A _companion?_ _From my own kind?_" The ghost suddenly asked, "Maddie, I don't know if you've noticed, but just about every ghost I've ever met ends up hating my guts. I'm not exactly... _interested_ in befriending any of them, okay? I've already got friends -_Human_ friends- that I seem to get along with just fine-"

"Phantom, you can be friends with whoever you like. Go out and make friends with a raccoon, see if I care. But when it comes down to it..." I bit my lip. "Well, Humans aren't even the same species as you. You have to draw the line somewhere, and I'm afraid that what you've got going with Samantha is _very much crossing that line." _I replied, hands fisting at my side. "And besides, Sam's affection has already been claimed _by my son. _I'm... _sorry_, but you have to understand what kind of situation that puts me in. I can't let you go through with your plans to... _reproduce _with her. I mean, even if I _could _overlook the obvious species difference, _and_ the danger the situation would pose, I couldn't just stand by and watch my son get hurt like that. It would break his heart."

"I'm telling you this because I'm your friend, Phantom." I continued, staring down at the cracks in the pavement. "And I want to keep being your friend, but if this is a decision you won't back out of, I'll have no choice but to step in for all our sakes. You'd be a threat, and I'd have to treat you as such. I don't want that." I looked back at him cautiously, mentally preparing myself for the inevitable fight-

Only to find him... _laughing?_

The green-eyed boy was avoiding my gaze, obviously trying to hold back full blown laughter and only semi-succeeding. One arm was clutching his stomach as if he was in pain, while his other hand was fisted over his mouth. Humour danced in his eyes, further thwarting his attempt at keeping his amusement from being noticed.

"Y-you're not serious, right?" he asked, looking up at me and giving a light cover-up cough when he noticed my annoyance.

I slowly nodded, now unsure of myself. "Of course I am, I-"

But I was cut off. His laughter was now uncontained, echoing around us in a way only a ghost's could. He seemed to stagger backwards, drawing deep breaths in between his chuckling. This went on for about a full minute, and every time it seemed to be dying down, all it would take was for the ghost to glance at me before he'd have himself in stitches all over again.

Eventually, I'd had enough. "Are you done?" I asked, my arms now tightly crossed as a show of agitation rather than discomfort. Unfortunately, this only caused him to burst in to laughter again.

This time, as the laughter eventually died down, I decided to stay silent. The ghost teen straightened from his near-doubled over position and met my gaze, humor dancing in his eyes. "Okay yeah. I'm done." He smirked. "And Maddie, I assure you, you can rest easy tonight. I'm not looking for a... _m-mate._" He bit his lip at the last part, obviously holding back another round. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm dead. I don't think I could even have kids if I _wanted_ to."

I just stared at him incredulously, not comprehending what he was saying. If what he was saying was true and he wasn't interested in Sam in that way, I'd obviously gotten the Halfa thing all wrong. What if he _hadn't_ asked me because he was looking to create his own? What if he'd already encountered these creatures? They couldn't possible _already exist,_ could they?

"But... I _saw_ you with her. Why else would you be hanging around with a human female like that?" I blurted out, realizing that if I was wrong about this whole thing, I'd just made a fool of myself.

"Um, because she's my _friend?_ You know, kinda like how _we're_ friends?" He retorted, raising a brow. "And, just in case you hadn't noticed, I'm _fourteen._ Don't you think that's a little young to be thinking about kids?"

"But I thought- I mean, after you mentioned Halfas, I assumed that maybe..."

"Maddie, have I ever given you a reason to believe I'm interested in all that stuff? I mean, let's be honest here; I died at fourteen. I'm gunna be fourteen for _a long time._ Having kids doesn't exactly sound... uh... _appealing_." He explained, crossing his arms timidly. "Besides... I didn't mention the Human-Ghost hybrid thing because I was thinking of making one... I'm trying to get rid of the ghosts, remember? Not create more."

"Then _why_ did you really mention them then? Because I can't make sense of this anymore. I've been frying my brain here trying to understand why you'd even _believe_ in these creatures, and when I finally think I understand, you shoot my theory down in flames!" I yelled, hands fisting at my sides. "And why were you with that Sam girl anyway, if you supposedly weren't courting her? How do you think her parents would feel about their daughter hanging around a member of the _undead_?"

"_I_ _**wasn't**__ courting her!" _He retorted, expression becoming mortified. _ "_We were just hanging out. And you know I wouldn't let anything bad happen to _anyone_ in this town -_let alone_ someone I consider a friend- so why does it matter _what_ I am!?" By this time, the teen had taken a step back, his expression depicting barely contained fury. My hand itched to reach for the contraption at my hip, but I forced myself to ignore it. Admittedly, Phantom's emotions were getting a tad out of hand, but if he was telling the truth than he had every right to be mad. I'd falsely accused him, even though we were supposed to be friends.

Not that he didn't have a few things to answer for, too.

"-You have no idea what it's like to have the whole town turned against you, Maddie. Can you really blame me for wanting to spend time with the handful of people who actually _gave me a chance?_ Oh wait, that's right; I'm a good-for-nothing _ghost,_ _obviously _I must be _brainwashing_ Sam into helping me create a new evil race of hybrids to _enslave humanity_."

I was about to interrupt and tell the teen to stop with the theatrics when suddenly there was a loud crash from behind us. I whirled around while Phantom simply looked over my shoulder, the pair of us watching in bafflement as a pair of men bolted in the opposite direction. One of them had knocked over a garbage can –which he had previously been hiding behind- as he went, and the two of them were now yelling at each other as they hefted various handheld contraptions along with them. They quickly reached the end of the street, and it was only as they dived into the back of a local news van that I realized that those contraptions had been cameras.

Those creeps had been... _filming us? _Why on earth would they be-

I paled, realization dawning on me as I watched the van disappear down the road and eventually blend in with the late-night traffic. I turned to face my cohort, realizing the teen had gone ridged and was staring off in the direction of the van with an increasingly horrified expression. He turned to look at me and blinked, while his mouth seemed to be shaping out silent words –almost as if his voice had suddenly disappeared.

"You saw that too, right?" He finally whispered.

I reluctantly nodded.

His breathing hitched, and he swallowed hard. "...I'm so dead."

* * *

**Hehe... cliffie ;) I had more, but I'll save it for next time :)**

**Wow. That was a long chapter... Hopefully it makes up for the time everyone waited! Yeah, I kinda don't have time to write anymore, so expect updates to take longer, but chapters _might_ be longer too (which means I shall try but may fail). So yeah. I think I'm done here.**

**Thanks again **_**Phantom's-Apprentice96! :D**_

**Fact: Reviews cure the common cold...**

**I have a cold.**

**Kay bye! ;P**

**~Diana Phantom**


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